Seasonal appetites

When temperatures soar we find ourseves reaching for a salad instead of a slice of pizza

Andrew J. Linn

Friday, 16 August 2024, 12:14

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In weather like this we all complain about the heat and we long for cooler climes, but when we feel that first hint of autumn, we start wishing summer would never end. As temperatures soar, we want a cool swimming pool, a mountain of ice cream and a crate of cold beer, while at the same time complaining that the heat saps our appetite. There is a scientific explanation why we feel like this.

Imagine our bodies as super-sensitive thermostats, constantly fiddling with the temperature to keep everything just right. When summer becomes autumn and then winter, our bodies burn more calories to stay warm, so naturally we want to eat more. But in summer, when the mercury is at its highest, our body says, 'I don't need more power,' and our appetite winds down.

Scientists have been scratching their heads over this temperature-controlled relationship with food, and why we eat less when it's hot, and the exact reasons are still a mystery. Hormones, proteins, and other scientific mumbo-jumbo play a role in this appetite diminishing act.

So, when we find ourselves reaching for a salad instead of a slice of pizza, we should remember that our body is doing its utmost to stay cool and balanced. The ice cream we are craving might actually heat us up, thanks to all those sneaky calories.

Perhaps relocation is the answer. Of the three best places in the world to live for agreeable year-round temperatures (Papua New Guinea, San Diego, and Tenerife in the Canaries) this last is conveniently close to the coast.

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